An Interview with Idrees Khokhar

Idrees Khokhar, an MCS, LLB is the at Team Lead of Software Engineering Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, having lead and developed a fairly famous Software HOPE – for Hospital Management.

Interviewed by: Sultan Muhammad

CodeWeek: Briefly tell us about you, your family background, and your education from beginning to the last highest degree earned?

Idrees: My father is a retired government officer, having served Government of Punjab for 37 years. My late mother was housewife. My eldest sister is Doctor and works for Fatima Jinnah Medical College. My second sister teaches Statistics in Lahore College University. My elder brother flies planes for Shaheen Airways. Younger brother has done MBA from USA and is working in New York.

My schooling is from Government Central Model School, Lower Mall Lahore. I did my FSc from Government College Lahore. I got my LLB degree from Punjab University. Then I did ACMA (foundation) from ICMA. I did my MCS from National College, Lahore.

Apart from development, I love to play and watch cricket and football. Reading is limited to IT books only.

CodeWeek: What attracted you to the specific field of Software Development?

Idrees: Some of my close friends were working in different software houses. Their discussions regarding software development attracted me initially. Further, during MCS classes analysis and design subjects became my favorite. When I got a job opportunity in Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, I decided to adopt it as career.

CodeWeek: What would you tell budding Software enthusiasts as to what is Software Development?

Idrees: For this, I would prefer to quote contents from Wikipedia:

Software development is the act of working to produce/create software.

The term software development is often used to refer to the activity of computer programming, which is the process of writing and maintaining the source code, whereas the broader sense of the term includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, modification, re-use, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. For larger software systems, usually developed by a team of people, some form of process is typically followed to guide the stages of production of the software.

For me Software Development is fun and passion !

CodeWeek: Tell us about major personal achievements in your life.

Idrees: As a team member and team lead, development of Hospital Information System (HOPE) and DICOM based PACS solution under the guidance of domain experts (Consultants, Doctors, Financial and Material Management Experts and relevant technical staff in all departments of the Hospital) is biggest achievement of my life.

HOPE is currently operational in following the three hospitals:

1. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore
2. Social Security Hospital, Lahore
3. National Institute of Heart Diseases (NIHD/AFIC) Islamabad

Deployment is in progress at the following two hospitals:

1. Maroof Hospital, Islamabad
2. Social Security Hospital, Muzaffargarh.

This ERP solution comprise of Clinical, Financial, Material Management and Administrative modules.

The step-by-step development and implementation at SKM was in this order:

Patient Registration and Appointments

• Orders Management System
• Pathology and Blood Bank
• Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine and Imaging Management
• Pharmacy
• In-patient
• Surgery
• Medical Records
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• General Ledgers
• Operational Budgeting System
• Provident-Funds System
• A/C Receivables System
• Financial Support Assessment
• Payroll Management System
• Charity Management System
• Materials Management System
• Fixed Assets System
• A/C Payables System
• Human Resource
• Library Management etc.

Having all these modules in operation, the hospital has a number of benefits including placement of an effective and on-line management information system, timely diagnostic decisions, timely clinical and financial decisions, elimination of manual work, elimination of duplicate activities, elimination of loop holes etc.

While developing the software, it was kept under mind to use the international coding standards i.e. CPT, ICDO9 etc.

Our MIS department is a registered software house with the PSEB. We are ISO9001and CMMI-level2 certified.

Other recent activities are conversion of Application into web-based technology. We are also in the efforts of having compliance of the system with international health standards i.e. HL7

CodeWeek: How would you advise youngsters who wish to join and pursue Software Development as a career?

Idrees: Software development for me is fun, where daily we face new challenges. Creative people usually fall in love with software development activities. Anyone with creative and analytical skills should adopt it as a career.

CodeWeek: What is your broad perception about the Software Engineering community in Pakistan as it stands today?

Idrees: In general our Software Engineers are very talented and hardworking and we can compare their skills with any other countries. Our teams have developed excellent software with limited resource in short times. Shaukat Khanum’s IT team is just an example. I have found most of my current and Ex-team members excellent professionals.

I think our software engineering community has full potential to grow.

CodeWeek: What would be your advice to the GoP regarding enhancement of the IT Sector?

Idrees: Start tangible IT projects in Government Institutes to utilize IT skills of local companies

Open more technical institutes for specialized IT education, work with IT industry leaders like Microsoft, Oracle, Intel etc to arrange best trainers and trainings in these institutes. Provide scholarships to deserving students to get free education in these institutes; Organize multinational IT related seminars, exhibitions and conferences in Pakistan, invite delegations from different countries to visit local software houses/institutes to get first hand knowledge of our local industry talent.

CodeWeek: What are critical points for sound Software Development?

Idrees: I think that close interaction with client for clear understanding of requirement, proper documentation, knowledge of skill set available with company and realistic estimation of tasks are critical points for sound s/w development. If client is satisfied and using the software then it is successful.

CodeWeek: What are major responsibilities of Development Manager or Project Manager heading a Team?

Idrees: Apart from planning and monitoring development activities and risks, the Manager must interact/communicate with all stake holders especially client and development team on regular basis. The manager is responsible to solve issues and arrange required resources at the right time.

This is responsibility to manager to provide proper atmosphere for the team. Professional growth of team members through trainings is also manager’s responsibility.

CodeWeek: What are your personal professional plans for the immediate future for the next 10 years?

Idrees: SKM management has a vision to help Health organizations (especially hospitals) in Pakistan to automate their functions to bring them one step ahead from their current position. I would like to work as a team member and try my best to make it possible.

Further I would like to improve my own qualifications.